The slogan, “American by birth - - Southern by the Grace of God” applies to my entire family. We are multi-generational southerners. The latest of my ancestors to arrive in the south was my great grandfather Jasper Kay who immigrated from Ireland to Greenville S.C. shortly after the War for Southern Independence.

My brothers and I were born in Madison County Georgia. Our parents were from Jackson County and Oglethorpe County, Georgia Our grandparents were from Madison and Franklin County Georgia and Greenville and Pickens Co. South Carolina. Several of my family lines came south from Virginia. One line of my family were neighbors of Thomas Jefferson

I have four ancestors who served in the Confederate army or navy. Two of them never came home. One was witnessed to have died at the battle of the Crater in Petersburg. He was stationed directly over the mine when it detonated. His body was never recovered. Another transferred to the Confederate navy after serving in an artillery unit. All record of him was lost after that.

One line of my ancestry owned slaves. Another from the same county were Southern Abolitionist. Just as in every family, we had sinners and saints.

This research into my family history is an effort to discover the answer to the age old question, “Who am I, and why am I here.